Obama diving into budget battle?

posted at 1:32 pm on April 4, 2011 by Ed Morrissey

Better late than never? Seven months after a Congress controlled by his own party failed to produce a budget for FY2011 on time or at all, Barack Obama has decided to act to avoid a government shutdown. Earlier today, the White House announced a summit involving John Boehner, Harry Reid, and key appropriators will take place at Obama’s end of Pennsylvania Avenue tomorrow:

President Barack Obama is summoning key lawmakers from both parties to the White House to help speed up budget negotiations and avoid a looming government shutdown at week’s end. …

Obama spokesman Jay Carney said that time was running short and the president would urge the lawmakers to reach an agreement. He said the White House was optimistic that a shutdown could be averted.

Obama has come under increasing fire for refusing to show leadership on the budget fight from both sides of the aisle. This still may not be anything more than an attempt to cover his bases if the government does shut down. Obama can say that he tried to offer mediation between the two sides, although he hasn’t done much publicly at all except criticize Republicans for attempting to cut all of 1.6% of the federal budget with the 40% deficit.

A government shutdown might not have a “traumatic” effect on the economy, former President Bill Clinton said Monday.

Clinton, who faced a shutdown during his 1995 budget negotiations with congressional Republicans, said he wasn’t sure whether President Obama was giving too much ground to the GOP in current negotiations, but suggested that a shutdown could backfire against Republicans, much as it did in the ’90s. …

“I think it could hurt the Republicans if it looks like the Democrats have a reasonable offer,” he explained.

That may be Obama’s intent in scheduling the summit tomorrow, but that’s a double-edged sword. When Presidents make that kind of staged effort, they need something concrete as a result. Presidents usually don’t like to leave the impression that they failed. Shaping the battleground for a potential shutdown really only works when the crisis hasn’t resulted from an earlier political failure, too, and Republicans can and will point out that they passed a budget for FY2011 in the House in less than 90 days, something Democrats didn’t bother to do with full control in 365 days.

Even if it is a trap, though, Republicans can hardly refuse a presidential summons for a mediation session, especially not after making Obama’s lack of leadership into an issue on spending. They had better be prepared for the consequences. Speaking of which, what kind of beer would be best for a summit on the FY2011 budget? I’m thinking something dark, bitter, and with a bad finish.

Guess bho is trying to out-do the r’s plan for a 4T reduction that is to come out tomorrow. bho just wants his face on the tube again tomorrow! I would bet the r’s cave on this, any takers? Why would the r’s trust bho and the d’s ever?
L

The repub’s should telll BO the price of admission to this summit is offering a plan. BO hasn’t put any political capital on the table. They should tell that ahole to specify cuts or go play with himself.

When Presidents make that kind of staged effort, they need something concrete as a result.

Like a lawyer in court won’t ask a question he doesn’t already know the answer to, a normal President would have an agreement in his back pocket before he staged an event like this. So my first reaction to the news was that some kind of agreement had been reached.

Trouble is, Øbama is so inept that the usual rules may not apply. He may just be wingin’ it one more time.

Better late than never? Seven months after a Congress controlled by his own party failed to produce a budget for FY2011 on time or at all, Barack Obama has decided to act to avoid a government shutdown. Earlier today, the White House announced a summit involving John Boehner, Harry Reid, and key appropriators will take place at Obama’s end of Pennsylvania Avenue tomorrow:

What about Mitch McConnell? If the Senate won’t pass what the House passes, he would have every right to filibuster, if he wasn’t invited to the meeting!

Boehner needs to go into this meeting and tell Obama publicly what Obama said to McCain at the health care summit: The election is over and we’re in the driver’s seat.

Why should we expect him to contribute anything to the budget debate . . . he has contributed nothing of any substance to anything else. He lacks the guts to make any unpopular decision that will cost him a vote. He’s not concerned about the fiscal health of the country, he’s only concerned about getting himself another 4 years at the public feeding trough. The dolt is an absolute loser.

I can already see George Snuffaluffagous bursting from the room proclaiming Republicans to be ogres, momentarily forgetting he is a member of the MSM and no longer part of a Presidential administration.

The line on Obama’s role has to be assuming it’s the same as it’s been in past “summit” meetings with Republicans – rejecting all Republican ideas out of hand, then challenging them for having no other ideas, and claiming he tried.

If he pulls this again, Republicans should leave the meeting telling the press, “It’s a shame he had to miss a golf game to say nothing. He’s been doing nothing from the golf course for two years, why suddenly run back to his office to do nothing? It’s not even raining.”